Conan: Ran turns into an elementary school student and calls me dad.

Chapter 5 Shinichi Kudo

"Is that so..."

Lin Xiu nodded, her gaze involuntarily drifting to the small figure in the corner.

Xiao Lan sat quietly on the edge of the sofa, her hands on her knees, her head down, her small body looking particularly frail.

Lin Xiuyi's heart tightened, and she softened her voice even more: "Besides her body shrinking... does Xiaolan have any other health problems? Is she feeling unwell anywhere? Or are there any strange symptoms?"

In his memory, the only poison in the Conan world that could shrink people was a drug called APTX-4869, but this thing was a deadly reaper, and nine out of ten people who took it would die on the spot.

If it were Shinichi Kudo, that show-off detective brat, who shrunk, Lin Xiuzhi would just watch the show with his arms crossed, and might even make a few sarcastic remarks like, "Even the great detective has his day."

But now, this unfortunate soul has become his own daughter, and the carefree feeling of watching the spectacle vanishes instantly, leaving only a heavy worry, like a stone pressing on his heart.

"Do you need to tell me?" Eri Kisaki finally turned around, giving him a cold glance. Her eyes behind her glasses were filled with suppressed anger and worry. "Do you think I'm stupid? That I wouldn't care about my daughter's health?"

Her tone was icy, leaving Lin Xiu speechless for a moment.

Seeing that the atmosphere between the two had become tense again, Liuli quickly tried to smooth things over.

"Shuichi, don't worry. The day after Ran's body started to change, Eri and I took her to almost every famous hospital in Tokyo... We did all the tests that could be done and that should be done."

"However, all the doctors' test results were the same: Xiaolan's physical indicators were completely normal. According to the medical reports, she was a very healthy... six-year-old girl."

"Everything is normal...that's good, at least there's no immediate danger to my life..." Lin Xiu murmured unconsciously, her tense nerves relaxing slightly.

However, his "relieved" posture acted like a fuse, instantly igniting Eri Kisaki's long-suppressed anger.

"What do you mean by 'that's good'?" Eri Kisaki whirled around, her voice rising abruptly, trembling uncontrollably. "Ran has become like this! A sixteen-year-old girl in the prime of her life, turned back into a six-year-old child overnight, tell me, what's good about that?"

"Eri, that's not what I meant!" Lin Xiuyi hurriedly waved his hand to explain, "What I meant was, excluding the risk of physical illness, at least we don't have to face the worst-case scenario, and we can concentrate on finding a way to return to normal... I absolutely don't think Ran's current situation is good!"

Kogoro Mouri, who was standing nearby, quickly chimed in to try and ease the tension.

But what truly angered Eri Kisaki was not just that one inappropriate remark.

She was angry about Lin Xiuyi's sudden disappearance seventeen years ago, angry that he was completely unaware of her pregnancy, angry about the fatherly love her daughter had lacked for the past seventeen years, and angry that he had suddenly reappeared now, as if everything could be easily turned over a new leaf...

The complex emotions in her chest made her unable to listen to Lin Xiuyi's explanation at all.

In the end, Ruri gently took her best friend's hand and softly advised, "Eri, Shuichi just got back and doesn't know much about the situation yet. He was just worried and spoke without thinking. The most important thing right now is Ran. We should work together to find a solution instead of getting angry with each other."

Ruri's gentle words were like a basin of warm water, slowly extinguishing the raging fire of anger in Eri's heart.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, her gaze was still indifferent, but her emotions had clearly calmed down a lot.

Lin Xiuyi secretly breathed a sigh of relief and gave Liuli a grateful look.

"By the way, about Ran shrinking... you haven't told anyone else, have you?"

Although Ran's shrinking was not directly caused by Gin and the Black Organization, once such an unbelievable thing as "a sixteen-year-old girl turning back into a six-year-old overnight" is exposed, it is hard not to attract the attention of various forces.

Having already suffered such misfortune, Lin Xiuyi absolutely did not want her to be dragged into any deeper danger.

"this……"

Upon hearing this, Kogoro Mouri's face showed an embarrassed expression.

"Actually... I was so shocked that day that I almost called my former colleagues at the Metropolitan Police Department to ask if they had ever encountered anything like this..."

"Luckily, Ruri was right there and stopped me in time. She even gave me a good scolding. Although I mentioned it to the doctor at the hospital a few times afterward, they seemed to think we were crazy..."

"Hmph, you don't need to worry about this kind of thing." Eri Kisaki adjusted her glasses. "I know better than you what the consequences of this being exposed would be... I don't want my daughter to become a special sample in someone's laboratory."

Phew... at least I didn't tell anyone...

Having understood the meaning behind her words, Lin Xiuyi's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

"Knock knock knock!"

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Hmm? At this hour... could it be that a client has come knocking?" Kogoro Mouri's eyes lit up, and a professional smile instantly spread across his face. He rubbed his hands together and stood up from the sofa with delight.

For this detective, whose business was in dire straits, any knock on the door meant business and money for drinks.

Seeing his expression, Liuli sighed helplessly.

"If it's a real request, you should go to the office on the second floor, not the third..."

Seeing the two of them start bickering again as usual, Xiao Lan obediently slid off the sofa, took short steps, and ran to the door. She stood on tiptoe and tried to turn the doorknob with her little hands.

However, when the door was opened a crack and Xiaolan saw who was standing outside, she was struck as if by lightning. Her big eyes were filled with panic and helplessness. She took several steps back and almost tripped over her own feet.

"What's wrong?"

Lin Xiuyi had been keeping an eye on her daughter, and when she noticed her unusual reaction, she quickly stepped forward.

When he stood at the door and saw the visitor outside, he instantly understood why Xiaolan had such a huge reaction.

A boy wearing a Teitan High School uniform stood at the office door.

A white shirt, a blue suit jacket, a dark blue tie, and a few casually styled bangs framing his face.

This classic and unforgettable outfit and appearance made Lin Xiuyi almost instantly recognize his identity as Shinichi Kudo!

"what?"

Shinichi Kudo was visibly taken aback when he saw Hideaki Hayashi open the door.

He tilted his head and examined Lin Xiuyi's face closely.

"Uncle Mori? It's only been a few years... You look so much younger! You've even gotten rid of your beard?"

Then, his gaze shifted downwards and landed on Xiao Lan, who was hiding behind Lin Xiuyi, with only half of her face showing...